


Husband vs. Husband: Figure Skating World Championship

by heartsdesire456



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Competition, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 16:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9499319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: Worlds is the first time that Victor and Yuuri will compete against each other since Victor's return to skating and, most importantly, since they became the first married couple to ever compete against each other at a figure skating competition. The big question on everybody's mind is, "Who will win gold, Victor Nikiforov or Katsuki Yuuri?"Full of sneaky spouses, fun with friends, and the Epic Figure Skating Action™ that so many high-ranking skaters in one place promises, this years Worlds is guaranteed to be absolutely wild!





	

**Author's Note:**

> I actually started this before this weekends Ace!Dom Yuuri fic, so today I came back to finish this one and get it out there for you guys so you can end the weekend on a fun, fluffy note!
> 
>  
> 
> (The nod to Phichit/Chris is for my dear friend who started shipping them recently!)

It felt incredibly awkward to be walking with the other Japanese skaters to check into the hotel the JSF had booked for them for Worlds. His roommate was the other men’s singles representative from Japan, thankfully that was Minami, and they were right across the hall from Minami’s coach and choreographer. In fact, Yuuri was the only one that was there without his coach, and one of the pairs coaches, an American woman, spotted him looking around awkwardly as the coaches and skaters spoke in the hallway before all splitting off to go to their rooms and she frowned.

“Where’s your coach?” she asked him, and it occurred to him that she must not realize who he was. It wouldn’t be that surprising, since the pairs skaters and their coaches had a lot of focus on their competition and less on singles competitors. 

“Uh, I-“

Minami slung an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders (awkwardly, since he was much smaller, still) and smiled. “Don’t you know that Yuuri’s husband-slash-coach is _Victor Nikiforov_?” he asked excitedly. “He’s gotta stay with the rest of the Russians!”

The look the woman gave him made Yuuri’s cheeks burn and he snatched their room key from Minami and ducked under his arm. “Oh wow, look at the time, better unpack and go pick up my passes from downstairs!” he said quickly, stabbing the card key into the slot four times in quick succession before it finally beeped and let him in. 

He tumbled to the floor under the weight of his backpack suitcase and promptly wiggled his feet out of the way of the door and slammed it behind him with a kick. He groaned in humiliation and pressed his face into his jacket sleeve, deciding to just lay there until Minami knocked to bet let in.

~

Obviously, never in the history of figure skating had a married couple competed against one another. Sure, pairs and ice dancing offered the possibility that a heterosexual married couple could be on opposite teams, but it hadn’t ever actually happened. Yuuri was pretty sure he weren’t the first male figure skaters to get married to one another, but they were definitely the first married male figure skaters to both still be competing, and extremely definitely the first married male figure skaters to be competing _against_ each other at the highest level of figure skating competition in the season.

Victor had managed silver at Europeans behind Yurio, Yuuri had managed silver at Four Continents behind JJ, and the first time they would be competing against each other was now, at Worlds, the ultimate test of figure skating prowess. And to add to the attention that brought them, they both were very capable of making the podium and almost certainly would both be chosen to represent their countries at the Olympics next season. 

Needless to say, there was a _lot_ of pressure on Yuuri to do well.

However, he wasn’t the only one under a lot of pressure. As per Worlds rules, the number of competitors a country could have was based on the performance of that countries skaters at Worlds last year, and since Yurio had been at the Juniors level and only Victor had scored high at Worlds last year from Russia, Russia only had two places allotted to them for this year. With Victor’s return, that meant that the Russian team had to cut Georgi out of what was supposed to be his spot alongside Yurio. If Victor didn’t deliver a podium finish, the entire Russian Figure Skating Federation would look foolish for giving him a spot that didn’t rightfully belong to him, so he had a lot of pressure on him to medal.

There had also been some controversy raised about the fact that Yuuri’s coach was also his competitor. There were questions posed to the ISU about whether there was any precedent or rule that said competitors couldn’t coach one another. However, since there were no real rules about coaching, more guidelines than anything, and since there was never a case like theirs before, they couldn’t very well kick the reigning world champion off the ice or kick the current world record holder off the ice. 

All that stress was exactly why Yuuri had waited while Minami unpacked for the hallway to clear and then, though it seemed to bum him out, Yuuri tossed him the key-card, grabbed his still-packed bag, and held up his phone. “Call me if we’re required to meet anytime, and enjoy having a room to yourself.”

Minami looked a little put out that his figure skating hero wouldn’t be his roommate, but he was also a teenager, so he smirked at Yuuri and wiggled his eyebrows. “Going to sneak in with a boy, huh? You’re so bad, Yuuri,” he said with a devious giggle. 

Yuuri blushed and rolled his eyes. “Hush or I’ll give Victor’s current roommate this room number instead of Phichit’s,” he threatened, and Minami squeaked in horror at the thought of Yuri being his roommate. 

Yuri was very mean to Minami. Yuuri regretted introducing them at the wedding. Poor Minami had cried and ran away and even Yuri looked a little surprised at his own ability to upset someone. But, Yuri being scary was a good enough way to threaten Minami to keep his mouth shut, so he didn’t bother saying anything else before leaving Minami sitting on his bed, cowering at the memory. 

~

When Yuuri got to Victor’s room – at an entirely different hotel, he really hoped nobody went looking for him at his assigned hotel – Victor’s muffled voice sounded through the door. “What’s the password?” he hissed like he was in some bad spy movie.

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Open the door or you can’t have any kisses until one of us has a medal around our necks,” he said flatly, and smirked when there was a startled curse and the door slung open quickly.

A wide-eyed Victor stood staring at him with a pout. “That’s cruel, Yuuri!” he accused and Yuuri just snorted and pushed him back into the room so he could come in as well. “Yura, tell him he’s mean to me!” he called, and Yurio looked up from where he sat by the window, bags still packed while he tapped away at his phone. 

“Don’t have loud sex or people will think it’s me and Victor and Victor will go to prison,” Yuri said, grabbing his bags after shoving his phone into his pocket. 

Yuuri rolled his eyes but decided not to comment. “Remember, Phichit’s in this hotel, his room number is-“

“I’m going to stay with Otabek since he’s got nobody sharing with him,” Yuri interrupted. “If anybody asks for me, I’m at the other hotel across the street, room twelve-oh-four,” he said and Victor spluttered.

“Yuri Plisetsky, Yakov will _murder_ me if he finds out I let you go to another hotel to stay with a boy!” Victor hissed, as if he feared Yakov would hear him. “You were just talking about me going to prison, Otabek’s eighteen, he’ll go to prison!”

Yuri turned back from the door, making a disgusted face. “Ew, I’m not having _sex_ with Otabek, you pervert! God, you’re worse than Mila, that whore,” he said, shuddering. “Not everything is about sex, you sick fuck! You’d think I’m the adult here, Jesus Christ,” he muttered as he wrenched the door opened and stalked out. 

Victor turned to Yuuri, who tossed his bag onto the other bed and then flopped onto Victor’s bed with a sigh. “I forget how young he is sometimes,” he mused with a soft smile. “He’s got it backwards, we’re the adults thinking about things in an adult way and he’s the kid who just wants to hang out with his friend.”

Victor scoffed. “He’s not a little boy, I had already touched boobs by his age,” he said, sliding onto the bed beside Yuuri. He waved a hand. “I mean, it was over the shirt, and only one time by that age, but I was definitely thinking about sex at his age.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “I suspect Yurio’s a lot more like me than you, Vicchan,” he said, looking across the pillows at his husband as he curled onto his side facing Yuuri. “I didn’t really think about _myself_ and sex until I got to college and I didn’t know a single person who hadn’t done it already. Sex was always just this thing that I didn’t really mind not having experience with.”

“Yes, but you,” Victor purred, shuffling closer to lean in, lips close to Yuuri’s. “Were a shy virgin at _twenty-three_. You were definitely not the average boy,” he murmured, stealing a small kiss. 

Yuuri giggled, eyes scrunching at the corners. “I still remember the look on your face when Chris mentioned that time he offered to ‘help me take care of it’,” he teased, and Victor groaned, cheeks flaming adorably. Victor never blushed, so it was amusing to see. 

At their _wedding_ , Chris had given a speech – thankfully late at night, after most of the younger and older people had gone to their rooms and left the party to the young adults – about the time he offered to sleep with both Phichit and Yuuri to fix that whole ‘adult virgin’ thing, and how he had always hoped Yuuri would take him up on his offer because, “Yuuri’s thighs look like they could crush a man, and that was my idea of the perfect way to die.” Victor had grown increasingly irritated at his friend waxing poetic about his desires for Yuuri and eventually snapped at Chris to stop saying lewd things about his husband. 

“I place no value on being someone’s ‘first’, but the thought of _Chris_ sleeping with you makes me angry for some reason,” Victor mumbled into the pillow. “I can’t help it. I don’t know why. I would totally not care if you had slept with somebody else, but not _Chris_.”

Yuuri smiled lovingly, stroking a hand through Victor’s hair. “Honestly, Victor, before you, the only lover I needed was the ice,” he said, then grimaced at his inadvertent poetic way of saying ‘I was fully focused on skating’. “Besides, I loved you before you ever kissed me, which I’m pretty sure most people won’t ever get to say, so I’m not ashamed of my one-man sexual history.” He winked. “And if Yurio isn’t interested in sex yet, that’s totally normal in my mind.”

Victor made a face. “It’s also very convenient, because I had already had my first childhood sweetheart when he was _born_ , and someone that young being adult enough for sex, that’s very upsetting to think about,” he lamented. “Natalia was such a cute girl. All fat cheeks and yellow curls. We held hands like _five times_ ,” he said in mock-seriousness. 

“Yuuko was the only girl I ever liked,” Yuuri said, waving a hand. “And you know all about that. The pretty older girl that was nice to me.” They had long ago discussed their past lovers and love interests and Victor knew all about the fact that Yuuri, so single-minded in his embarrassing obsession with The Victor Nikiforov, had never so much as had a crush on anyone for all his life. Girls had liked him in college, and even the occasional boy, but he was just uncomfortable under their attention. It was so embarrassing at the time to have a long talk with his then-fiancé about having basically been obsessed with him since he was a small boy. Yuuri was pretty sure someone who wasn’t as strange as Victor wouldn’t find it adorable that Yuuri had been a creepy fan, but Victor found it sweet that Yuuri had only ever really wanted him. 

Granted, the childhood obsession in an untouchable star was very idealist compared to the living, breathing, forgetting, pestering, impulsive, _frustratingly human_ man that Yuuri had actually fallen for. Overcoming obsession for a star to fall in love with a very real person had been the best thing to ever happen to Yuuri, because his husband was not his childhood hero, his husband was his best friend, flaws and all. 

Victor yawned, rolling over to flop half on top of Yuuri, making Yuuri snort since he was just thinking about Victor’s ‘flaws’. “Mmmmm sleepy,” he mumbled, rubbing his cold nose on Yuuri’s neck. “Yuuuuriii,” he sighed dramatically. “I missed you.”

Yuuri snickered. “Victor, I flew out _one day_ before you,” he stressed and Victor curled both his arms and legs around Yuuri, effectively turning him into a giant teddy bear. 

“It’s the longest we’ve been apart since we got married,” Victor moaned dramatically, but after a moment of silence from both of them they both glanced at each other in soft realization. “Wow,” Victor said more seriously. “It was the longest we’ve been apart since we got married.”

Yuuri smiled softly, reaching up to tangle a hand in Victor’s hair. “One year ago, almost exactly, you came to my home and told me you would make me win a gold medal,” he said with soft affection. 

A pout came over Victor’s face. “I still haven’t made you win a gold medal yet,” he said regretfully, but Yuuri smirked.

“You gave me a far more important piece of gold,” he said, wiggling his hand in Victor’s hair to tap his ring against Victor’s skull. 

Victor smirked. “Besides, I’m going to win gold this weekend,” he said with a deliberate tone. “Silver is a good color on you, though.”

“Psh,” Yuuri dismissed. “Oh yeah right. I’m going to win gold. Have you _heard_ of my coach? He’s got me doing better now than I ever have before,” he purred and Victor smirked.

“Oh really? If he’s so good, why haven’t you won gold already?” he demanded.

Yuuri pouted. “Because he’s really sexy and I got very distracted by worrying if he’d notice I have a bit of a crush on him,” he said, sighing heavily. 

Victor snickered. “You have a crush on your coach, huh? Funny, since I happen to have a crush on my skater.”

Yuuri snorted, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, all joking aside, the only reason JJ beat me at Four Continents is because that shithead’s far too pretty for him fiancée told him they could elope if he won gold.”

“Maybe she’s pregnant?” Victor mused, and Yuuri scrunched up his nose.

“JJ as someone’s dad? Eew.” He paused. “Although, fatherhood would mean he’s definitely got to retire, which would make Yurio very happy.”

Victor smirked. “So if I get you pregnant, do we both have to retire together?” he asked, and Yuuri laughed.

“Victor, if you can get me pregnant, we can both retire and get rich for being the first biologically male humans to ever get pregnant,” he joked. “Think of all the TV slots. Book deals. So many sponsorships for being athletes and freaks of nature,” he added. Rolling them both over so he could, instead, tuck himself into Victor’s arms, snuggling into his chest, Yuuri yawned and got comfortable. “I’m sleepy. And I missed you. I should get up and change but I just can’t drag myself away.”

Victor kissed his temple. “Take a nap and then we can go get some dinner,” he suggested. “It’s not that late yet. I’ll hold you, let you sleep, and then wake you up so we can get something to eat.”

Nodding against Victor’s shirt, Yuuri deflated against him. “I like your ideas.”

“Mmmm, ‘s why I’m your husband,” Victor murmured soothingly, fingers tracing through Yuuri’s hair comfortingly as he prepared to take a nap right alongside Yuuri.

~

When Victor and Yuuri showed up late for the dinner the Russian team was having, it drew attention to them to say the least. Yakov tutted, narrowing his eyes at them. “Yuuri, what are you even doing here?” he asked and Yuuri gave him an innocent look.

“I have no idea what you mean, Yakov,” he said in a small tone as he slid into the seat beside Victor.

“If I get a call from the JSF representative about a missing skater, I’m denying all knowledge,” Yakov said firmly and Georgi sniffed pompously where he sat across from Victor and Yuuri.

“You two can’t even go a few days apart?” he asked coolly.

Yuuri smirked, curling his hand around Victor’s forearm. “We’re newlyweds, Georgi, of course we don’t want to go a few days apart.” He leaned into Victor’s side and stared into Georgi’s eyes. “Not that you would know what that’s like.” Georgi wasn’t always so bad, but he got a little pissy about them being so adorably in love. Even nearly a year after it happened, he was still a little bit psycho about his ex dumping him, and Yuuri and Victor’s relationship made him a bit of a shithead. 

Victor smiled brightly and leaned over to press a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek. “My perfect husband is right!” he said excitedly. “Also, I’m his coach, all the other skaters are with their coaches tonight. I’m with my coach,” he said, gesturing to Yakov. 

Yakov wagged a finger. “Just don’t let me find out you’ve been across the street at the hotel the Japanese skaters are staying in. That woman representing the JSF is scary enough without you getting me in trouble for sneaking into your husband’s hotel room.”

Victor gave an innocent pout. “Yakov, when have I ever-“

“Sochi,” Yakov said coldly and Victor frowned.

“I don’t remember doing anything at Sochi-“

“Exactly,” he said grimly. “The _Olympics_ , Vitya, and you got so drunk you can’t even remember sneaking into the curling center with Giacometti and that skier girl and sliding down the ice wearing nothing but your medals.”

Yuuri’s jaw dropped and Victor’s formerly curious smile took a panicked turn. “I- I did?”

Georgi snickered. “Yeah, Christophe still has the photos,” he said and Victor swallowed visibly.

“Oh my God,” Mila snorted. “How was that not an international scandal?!”

Yakov grunted. “Because I’m scary and those security guards knew better than to tell anything that would make the nation’s hero look bad.”

Yuuri saw the look on Victor’s face and tutted. “Oh, Victor,” he chastised and Victor’s panicked smile grew sheepish. He shook his head and Victor pouted some.

“Oh trust me,” Yakov said gruffly. “I’m so glad you married him,” he said harshly. “He’s far less trouble since he met you. You make my life very much easier.”

Mila giggled. “Well at least if he gets caught sneaking into his husband’s hotel room, that’s far more innocent of a scandal than drunken debauchery with a man AND a woman,” she said, sniggering into her fist. 

“Speaking of sneaking into hotel rooms,” Georgi said suddenly, looking around. “Where’s little Yuri?” he asked.

“He said he isn’t hungry,” Yakov said, nodding to his phone. “So he’s probably ordering room service he isn’t supposed to be eating and pigging out like a typical teenager,” he said, shaking his head. “He’ll regret it when he’s too bloated from junk food to skate to his full potential tomorrow night.”

Yuuri looked down at his plain vegetables and huffed. “If I pigged out on junk food tonight, I’d never fit into my costume tomorrow,” he muttered, only to have Victor suddenly grab him around the waist, tugging him into his side. “Victor!” he squeaked, blushing bright red when Victor shoved his hand under Yuuri’s shirt.

“Zolotse,” Victor said firmly, splaying his hand flat across Yuuri’s body. “You are as wide as one of my hands and your body is solid muscle, it would take a lot more than an order of fries to make you fat.” He sighed dramatically. “If only I were so small I would look far more graceful. Damn ballet bodies,” he said with a grumpy pout. “You and Yura both have that body fluidity I shall never posess.”

“For now,” Georgi pointed out. “Yuri is already growing. He may very well end up tall.”

Yakov grunted. “Perhaps, but you can look at his limbs and tell he will always have the figure of a dancer. Victor has a more masculine structure to his body, as do you, but both little Yuri and this Yuuri have a more feminine shape to their limbs. It makes the fluid grace a good asset for them both.”

Victor leered at Yuuri suddenly. “Also makes for nice curves to grab hold of and squeeze,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows, and Yuuri flushed, slapping Victor’s hand away as it roamed to his thigh.

“Victor Nikiforov, you get your hand off my leg at the dinner table right now!” he chastised. 

Victor smirked. “But Yuuuuri, you have such wonderful thighs and hips, and as your husband, I can’t contain myself!”

“My mother would be ashamed of you doing something so inappropriate for the dinner table,” he added and Victor ducked his head bashfully.

After a moment Victor rested both hands on the table. “You’re right, I’m sorry,” he said, winking at him suddenly. “They’re very nice to grab onto, though.” 

Yakov chuckled. “You should’ve married him years ago,” Yakov said to Yuuri. “He’s never listened to anything anybody else tells him.”

~

Yuuri and Victor both had a morning full of press ahead of them, but separately. Worlds was a big deal this year because rumor had it that JJ Leroy had a lingering cold for the past two weeks and wasn’t at top form, so the real talk was about whether Victor or Russian Yuri or Japanese Yuuri would win the gold. Russia was already ensured three entry slots next year just by having Victor and Yuri there with such high score potentials, but while Yuuri was sure to score high, Minami had never gotten close to a high enough score to ensure Japan even got two slots the following year. Yuuri winning gold would ensure two entry slots at least, so the JSF had a lot riding on him for men’s singles, because there were several skaters moving up from Juniors to Seniors the next season that could put Japan back up at the top again.

For the entire season, Yuuri held the highest score and still held the free skate world record from the Grand Prix Final. Because Victor hadn’t managed to break either world record and reclaim them at Europeans, he technically only had the fourth highest scores of the season. However, he was Victor Nikiforov, so even though he only did one ISU event all season, he was still in the running to win gold, especially having been the winner of Worlds last season. 

Yuuri and Victor’s marriage was a topic everyone wanted to talk about but the press knew they were restricted to questions pertaining to the competition, so Yuuri was almost impressed by the ways they managed to sneak in roundabout questions about the competition and his marriage to Victor. “You’re competing against your coach and husband tonight and tomorrow,” one reporter asked at the press conference, “Do you think you have a chance to win gold even though it means defeating your own coach and upsetting your husband’s chance at gold?”

Yuuri smiled a bit nervously. “I think that it could be because of him being my coach that I can beat Victor Nikiforov. He takes coaching very seriously, meaning that though I am competition, he has helped me become better at everything he has expertise in. Most anything he can do, he has taught me, and some things he cannot do he found someone to help me with,” he said simply. “And though I want my husband to do well, and I will cheer for him as hard as anyone, none of us want the other skaters to do poorly. We’re all friends here, so we want everyone to do their best. The attitude we all have, even those of us who aren’t close, is that whoever skates the best routine the cleanest is the person we all _want_ to win, even if that person is not ourselves. If Victor skates better than me, he deserves a higher score, and if I skate better than him, I deserve a higher score.”

Another reporter piped up. “You didn’t answer the first question, though. Do you think you will win gold over your husband?” he asked, and there was a general murmur through the crowd.

Yuuri blushed and ducked his head, but lifted his eyes and spoke clearly. “I think I will win gold tomorrow night. I’m sure if you ask my husband that question he’ll say he thinks he will win, but it’s definitely going to be me,” he said boldly, earning amused chuckles throughout the crowd of reporters.

~

“Yuuri is definitely going to win gold tomorrow night!” 

Yuuri blushed and ignored the devious snickers of his friends as he watched Victor at the Russian team’s press conference on Phichit’s phone. “Oh it gets better,” Phichit said, and Chris nodded from his other side, sucking noisily on the straw in his can of seltzer. 

Victor on the screen smiled brightly, confidently proclaiming, “I won’t make it easy for my amazing husband to beat me, but I play fair, and I’m his coach, so whatever I can do, he can do too, only he’s far more graceful than me, so as long as his nerves don’t get to him, he will kick my ass for sure!”

Yuuri slapped a hand over his eyes and Guang Hong patted his back comfortingly. “There, there, you don’t look like a total jerk,” he soothed. 

“Yeah,” Leo said from across the table beside Chris and Minami. “You’re just not as disgustingly sappy as your husband.”

Yuuri deflated, flopping onto the table. “I look like a stuck up asshole who thinks I’m better than everybody and Victor looks like a sappy husband who thinks his husband is the best! People are going to say I’m selfish!” 

“Really, Yuuri,” Chris tutted. “You’re going overboard. You won’t look like a stuck up asshole, you just look confident and Victor looks smitten.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Confidence is a good look on you, by the way. You should’ve been getting laid long ago if this is the level confidence it gives you.”

Leo shushed him and covered Minami’s ears. “Little ears!” he said, and Minami swatted him away, rolling his eyes.

“I’m seventeen, not seven,” he complained.

Chris smirked. “You look even younger than the Ice Kitten and he’s nearly two years younger than you.”

“At least I’m not old like you,” Minami said innocently and Phichit gasped before cackling at the offended look on Chris’s faces. “You’re two years older than Yuuri, so you’re way older than all of the rest of us,” he said with the most obviously faux-innocent look Yuuri had ever seen on Minami’s sweet little fact.

Chris just harrumphed, glowering at him. “Yeah, well, at least I’m not a virgin like the rest of you.”

Yuuri gave him a flat look and held up his right hand with his ring on display. “You were literally at my wedding.”

“Oh, and six months ago were you or were you not still a virgin?” Chris asked loftily, making Yuuri blush and grumble.

Phichit leaned onto his elbows, narrowing his eyes at Chris. “What makes you think the rest of us are virgins just because we’re not ridiculously sexual like you are?” he challenged playfully.

Chris winked. “Cause you keep turning down my advances, Leo’s saving himself for Guang Hong-“ Leo spluttered, choking on his drink. “And Guang Hong and Minami blush every time someone says any word that’s even a euphemism for ‘sex’.” Yuuri glanced up and barely bit back a giggle when he saw it was true, both teens were blushing and avoiding everybody’s eyes. 

“Maybe I just don’t want to sleep with you,” Phichit challenged with a small smirk. “The other stuff’s true, Guang Hong nearly died when he saw drunk Victor naked, Minami is too much of a Yuuri fanboy to notice girls, and Leo’s definitely saving himself for Guang Hong-“

“That is utterly and entirely unfounded claims-“ Phichit ignored Leo’s irate interruption and kept speaking.

“But who says rejecting your advances makes me a virgin? Yuuri didn’t want to sleep with you so maybe I just don’t want to sleep with you, either,” he challenged.

Chris smirked. “Yuuri’s always been obsessed with Victor and didn’t even realize everybody is attracted to him even if they don’t want to be.”

Yuuri frowned. “What do you mean ‘everybody’ is attracted to me?” he asked in confusion, but Phichit had a reply for Chris instead.

“Maybe I’m just not interested in you? Or maybe I’ve got a girlfriend? Or maybe-“

“Or maybe you reject my advances because you want me but you’re too embarrassed to accept them since you know you’ll be bad at sex the first time,” Chris all but purred, leaning closer to Phichit.

Yuuri wasn’t the only one that was staring at the two uncomfortably as they both leaned so far across the table they were staring into each other’s eyes with faces only inches apart. He glanced at Minami, who looked like he was about to say ‘ew’, then over at Guang Hong who was blushing and staring with wide eyes. Leo looked curious as Phichit and Chris both fidgeted some, and spots of red appeared on _Chris_ ’s cheeks.

Yuuri noticed the way Phichit kept biting his bottom lip and his eyes widened at the realization that Chris might be _right_. “Wow!” Yuuri startled some as he looked between the two of them. “Chris wants to sleep with you, Phichit, that’s hilarious!”

Phichit and Chris both jerked around, breaking their staring contest to look at him. “Oh he does not-“

“I wanted to sleep with you, too, it doesn’t mean anything-“

“Nope,” Leo said, snickering. “He’s right. Chris wants Phichit. Ha!” 

Yuuri made a face. “And what the hell do you mean you wanted to sleep with me, too?” he asked Chris. “Do you have some Asian fetish?” he asked suspiciously, and Guang Hong squeaked in alarm at his side. 

Phichit just tutted. “Yuuri, almost everybody has had a crush on you at some point,” he said, patting his hand as if he were an elderly person who was very confused. “I thought you were cute, but at least I never developed a real crush. You became my friend so fast after I met you it never got there,” he soothed. 

Chris grinned. “Yuuri, take it from one of only a few of the older skater still left. We _all_ wanted you at some point.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Victor never noticed you, because he always had fans mobbing him, and he’s not very observant, as I’m sure you know now, but all the rest of us sure did.” He tutted. “Those thick, strong thighs, that tight little ass, those big, gorgeous brown eyes…” He shook his head as he stared into the distance longingly. “Do you remember Stepan?” 

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Was _that_ why he always bumped into me?” he asked in a low voice, thinking back to his senior debut. “Oh my God that makes so much sense now.”

Chris chuckled. “Yuuri, trust me, Victor is far from the first person to notice you being sexy,” he teased “Stepan and that Spanish guy, Eduardo, they had this bet going with a few others your first year in seniors over who would be the first one to nail you.” Yuuri’s jaw dropped. “I told them to leave me out of it, because that’s just not right, but you were so in your own head, and such a bundle of nerves, you never even realized they were flirting.”

Yuuri overcame his shock and frowned again. “Wait, why did all the skaters like me back then and not Phichit?” he asked curiously.

Phichit snorted. “Probably because I don’t have your thighs,” he said, sighing dramatically. “You have curves likes a girl but you’re also tall and masculine.”

Chris winked. “Somewhere, Stepan and Eduardo saw Victor Nikiforov kiss you on live television and got super pissed you never kissed either of them.”

“Maybe I should’ve,” Yuuri said with a shrug. “Then maybe I would’ve had better inspiration for my short program than _food_.”

Leo frowned. “Food?” he asked unsurely.

Phichit smirked. “Yeah, didn’t you know? When Victor gave Yuuri ‘Eros’ he made him come up with something that inspired his lust, and Yuuri landed on his favorite food!”

Yuuri put a hand over his eyes. “I was on a strict diet to lose weight and I’d only ever kissed a girl on a dare when I was a teenager and Phichit cause we were bored and drunk, the only thing that I wanted so badly it drove me to distraction at that point was food.” He spluttered. “Besides, that was the skate Victor had planned for himself about me seducing him at that banquet I don’t remember and then disappearing, so it was about me anyways, I just didn’t know that!”

Minami snickered. “‘Eros’ isn’t about food anymore now, is it,” he said and Yuuri flushed, glaring across at him.

“You are a _child_ ,” he complained.

Minami shrugged. “And you’re the one that only spent five minutes in our assigned room before you snuck to another hotel to bang your husband,” he teased and Yuuri flushed and spluttered.

“I did not-“

“Oh, I don’t blame you,” Minami said simply. “I don’t have to like boys to tell he’s a handsome man,” he said with a giggle.

Guang Hong gaped at Yuuri. “Oh my God, if you get caught won’t you get in trouble?”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes at Minami. “The only person who would tell knows who he gets as a roommate if he does,” he said threateningly and Minami squeaked and ducked his head. Guang Hong frowned and he smirked. “Yuri Plisetsky is Victor’s roommate.”

“Oh yeah,” Phichit said, sipping his drink. “Why didn’t he show up like you said he would?” he asked and Yuuri sighed.

“Yurio is staying with Otabek Altin, even though Yakov will kill Victor if he finds out Victor let his underage roommate go stay with a boy.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Yuri and _Otabek_?” he asked skeptically and Yuuri made a face.

“I don’t think it’s like that, I think Yuri just finally has a friend.” He gave him a pointed look. “But if it _is_ like that, Yakov will murder Victor. And maybe me,” he added, frowning some. “Not sure, though. Yakov likes me.” It was true, Yuuri thought, because Yakov was constantly telling Victor he should be more like Yuuri in his discipline. 

Christophe reached out and put a hand over Yuuri’s on the table. “We’ll remember you after they find your body floating in a canal in St. Petersburg.” Yuuri rolled his eyes but the others giggled at him anyways.

~

When Yuuri got back to Victor’s hotel room, Victor was lounging on the bed with his phone in his hands. “Ah, Yuuri,” he said brightly as he came in. Yuuri just shuffled off his shoes and then went to the bed, crawling up onto Victor’s lap, knees on either side of his hips as he hugged him and laid his head on Victor’s shoulder. Victor hummed, hugging him close. “How was lunch with the guys, Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov?”

Yuuri rolled his eyes, snuggling into Victor’s chest. “It was fun, Mr. Our-Names-Aren’t-Hyphenated,” he countered. He pulled away, sitting back on Victor’s thighs as he pouted at him. “Hey, you, why did you have to go and say I’d win gold at the press conference?” he demanded.

Victor grinned. “Because you probably will,” he said, settling his hands on Yuuri’s thighs. “Why, who did you say?”

“Me!” Yuuri complained. “Now I look stuck up and you look sweet!” He fell off of Victor’s lap onto the bed beside him. “And if I lose now, I’m gonna look like an idiot!”

Victor turned onto his side, smiling fondly as Yuuri pressed his face into the pillows, clearly trying to hide. “Well, other than bemoaning your own confidence, what else did you do tonight?”

Yuuri lifted his head suddenly. “Oh yeah, did you know most of the skaters since I joined the senior division have wanted to sleep with me?” he asked, frowning. “According to Chris, everybody has a crush on me at some point.”

Victor bowed his head. “Understandable. I honestly have no idea how I didn’t notice you sooner,” he said, reaching out to brush Yuuri’s hair from his eyes. “You’re so beautiful. And you’re friends with Chris and I’ve been friends with him since he was in juniors, so it’s weird we didn’t get to know each other before that banquet.” He frowned. “Wait, does _Chris_ want to sleep with you?” he asked suddenly.

Yuuri giggled and nodded. “Yep. But he never tried cause he knew I wasn’t interested. He said my first year, a lot of the older guys had a bet going about who would sleep with me first and he thought that was really wrong so he became my friend instead.” He sighed. “I should’ve kissed Eduardo, though. He was cute.”

Victor frowned. “Is that the Spanish one?” he asked, and Yuuri nodded. Victor smirked. “Oh yeah, I had sex with him,” he said, and Yuuri grimaced.

“Ew, good thing I didn’t kiss him, then.” He shook his head. “It would be super weird to have made out with someone my husband had slept with before.” He frowned. “You’ve never slept with Phichit, right?”

Victor’s jaw dropped. “You kissed _Phichit_?”

Yuuri shrugged dismissively. “We were roommates, and we were drinking, and we were curious. Phichit’s a pretty good kisser, but it felt dirty,” he explained. “And not in a ‘ooh dirty’ way, in an ‘ew dirty’ way.”

Victor turned onto his side, propping on an elbow to look at Yuuri. “How have we been married months now and I didn’t know you kissed Phichit?” he asked and Yuuri shrugged.

“I didn’t know you slept with Eduardo,” he countered. “I’ve never cared who you slept with or how many people you’ve slept with, so I never thought about asking.”

Victor smiled sweetly. “Probably a lot less than you think I have,” he said, rubbing at Yuuri’s back as he leaned closer. “I’m still a skater, no matter how famous I am. Dating isn’t easy when you’re an athlete.” Yuuri hummed, laying his head down on the pillow, looking up at Victor through glasses that were pushed to one side from the angle he lay at. “Six people,” he said with a nod. “The first boy I ever had sex with, I was eighteen and he was an older skater at the rink Yakov trains at, but he had another coach. He was nice, but his coach found out and moved rinks, and he told Yakov to try and get me kicked out, I think, but Yakov didn’t give a damn.” He drew circles on Yuuri’s back and Yuuri realized it was Olympic rings. “Then at my first Olympics, I had sex with Eduardo. And then I had a girlfriend for a few months, but she didn’t want to date me once the off-season ended and I was training full-time.” He grimaced. “Chris and I had sex once,” he confessed and Yuuri’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

Victor cringed. “He was getting the hang of sleeping around and we got drunk together and we were flirting for fun, then it went in a different direction, and we both regretted it in the morning. It felt really creepy. Kind of like how I imagine kissing Phichit felt for you,” he explained. He continued on and Yuuri watched him closely as he pouted. “Then I had a boyfriend for eight months and found out he was only dating me because I’m Victor Nikiforov. His name was Ivan and he was a nice guy until he turned out to be a prick.” He flapped a hand. “Then last year after Europeans, I slept with this German girl with really big breasts because it had been a long time since I had sex with a girl and I figured ‘why not’.” He counted on his hand. “Yep, six people.” 

Yuuri shifted up onto his elbows, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” 

“What?” Victor asked with a slight frown.

Yuuri narrowed his eyes. “You said six people. You just listed six people.” Victor continued to frown and Yuuri huffed and flung his ring-bearing hand out at him. “Victor.”

“Ooohhh,” Victor drawled, looking at his ring with a faint blush. “Well, obviously I meant besides you.” He leaned in and kissed Yuuri’s hand. “Besides, I don’t ‘have sex’ with you, we make love,” he purred and Yuuri snorted, giggling as he pressed his face into the pillow.

“Oh God, Victor, stop it,” he laughed. He turned to look at Victor and smiled. “Admit it, you can’t count sometimes,” he teased. He reached up and cupped Victor’s face in his hand. “Silly Vicchan,” he sighed, and then tugged Victor down into a soft kiss. “I love you, bad counting and all.”

Victor smiled against his lips. “Mmmmm, you’re the smartest person I know, so it’s relieving that you don’t mind that I’m a little stupid.” Victor grabbed Yuuri and shoved him over onto his back, making him squeak, before climbing on top of him. “Yuuuriii,” he purred, leaning down to kiss his neck. “Let’s make love,” he proclaimed.

Yuuri squeaked and giggled as he turned away. “Victor, no, we have to skate in a few hours!” 

“But Yuuri, my love-“

“No,” Yuuri said firmly, though he giggled again as the finger he put to Victor’s lips mushed his lips. He moved his hand and kissed Victor sweetly. “We should nap a while.”

“But sex would be so nice,” Victor said with a pout even as he flopped to the side, snuggling into Yuuri.

Yuuri turned around, allowing Victor to be the big spoon, a task he took to with gusto, snuggling right up against Yuuri. “I would be fine, but you would be very tired if we had sex,” he reminded him.

Victor sighed. “This is true,” he allowed. Yuuri felt lips press to the back of his neck gently. “If only I had your stamina.” 

Yuuri hummed, closing his eyes as he curled his hand over Victor’s wrist where it lay on his belly. “If you had my stamina, we would probably never do anything but sex and skating,” he murmured teasingly and Victor grunted.

“You say that like it wouldn’t be the best thing ever.” After a few moments of just relaxing, Victor spoke again. “Yuuri, do you ever think about the fact that we’re _married_ and get to do this for the rest of our lives?” 

Victor’s voice was so soft and full of wonder that Yuuri couldn’t help biting his lip excitedly as a thrill shot through him. “Yeah, Vicchan,” he agreed softly, careful not to let his voice betray how much of a rush it gave him. “I get to be your little spoon forever,” he whispered and Victor squeezed him a little.

“How did I not know how much I love you the second I ever saw you?” Victor whispered, and Yuuri knew it wasn’t sweet-talking, it was Victor’s genuine feelings. “You’ve made it to the Grand Prix series four times, one of which I coached you, and the others I even skated the same event as you multiple times, and I never noticed you. How did I not notice you?”

Yuuri closed his eyes and hummed. “Because I spent most of my life trying to be invisible, even though I was a world class figure skater. You were Victor Nikiforov and I was ‘that Japanese boy’.”

Victor sighed. “But the moment I saw you at the rink at the Grand Prix Final, when you were walking out with Celestino and I asked if you wanted a photo, I didn’t even know you were my competitor and yet I thought, ‘wow, he’s beautiful’, and wanted to know why you looked so sad.”

Yuuri tensed. He had never told him that before. “Wait, really?” he asked curiously. “I didn’t know you even remembered that.”

“Of course I remember the moment I saw the most beautiful person in the world for the first time,” Victor said, rubbing at Yuuri’s middle with the hand around his waist. “I saw you standing there and it took my breath away. I had to have seen you, and maybe even met you, before that with us doing the same competitions sometimes, but that was the first time I _noticed_.”

Yuuri smiled, blushing some even though Victor couldn’t see. “I was nine years old the first time I saw you on TV, at the Junior championship,” he said and Victor made a surprised little noise in his throat.

“You remember _that_?” he asked curiously. 

Yuuri nodded. “I remember because you were the most amazing skater I had ever seen in my life, and you were only a few years older than me, and I told Yuuko that I was going to get good enough to stand on the podium with you. I never got that chance because you were so far above me, but the year I failed miserably at the Grand Prix Final, it was my best year of my career, and I was so convinced it would be the year I stood on a podium with Victor Nikiforov.” He looked out at his ring, twirling it with his thumb. “Instead, just when I thought I had quit skating for good, you came into my life and you weren’t Victor Nikiforov, my hero, you were Victor Nikiforov, the guy who makes me run up hills a lot.” He reached down and curled his hand around Victor’s. “I still haven’t stood on a podium next to you, but I stood at the altar with you. That’s somewhat of a step above.”

Victor grumbled. “Only somewhat?” he teased.

“Well, tomorrow night we’ll find out how it feels to stand on the podium with you, so I’m waiting to be sure the altar was the better place,” Yuuri said lightly. 

After a bit longer, Yuuri almost thought Victor had fallen asleep before he spoke suddenly. “Yuuri, is it strange that I’m nervous?” Victor asked. “Everybody thinks I’m so far above everyone else, but coming back was hard. Yuri beat me at Europeans and I wasn’t competing against you or JJ there, so now I’ve got all three of you with insanely high possible scores. What if I don’t even get on the podium?”

“Victor, you still have a higher base potential than JJ does, and the only reason Yurio and I can come close to the two of you is that we put all our jumping passes in the last half of our routines. Yurio half-kills himself every time to manage them, too. Yuri and I have luck in our favor that JJ is still sick.”

“You and Yurio score higher in component scores than I do,” Victor countered. “JJ almost matches me in technical, true, and it’s above you two, but you get those bonuses easily and both of you have higher component scores. Yuri has his spins and you have your edgework and general grace.” Victor sighed. “What if I’m left in fourth place?”

Yuuri hummed. “Then you’ll just have to stand on the podium with me at the Olympics next year.” 

Victor chuckled. “You sure sound confident for the least confident person I know,” he mused and Yuuri smiled, lacing their fingers together.

“I grew up to marry my childhood hero, Vicchan, who is now competing against me at Worlds,” Victor cooed and Yuuri snickered. “And the second-best Japanese skater is a teenage boy who doesn’t have but one quad. Japan is going to pick me, and you aren’t going to retire before another shot at the Olympics, so we’re definitely going.”

Victor sighed. “Will you be okay without me?” he asked suddenly and Yuuri immediately knew what he meant. They had drawn their numbers for the short program and Victor skated first in the final group while Yuuri skated dead last in the final group. Victor usually stuck by Yuuri for warmup the entire time, but this time, not only would he be skating first, but after they skated, the skaters were required to go sit in the top three ‘chairs’ at least until they were knocked out of the top three. Victor was not likely to be knocked out of the top three at all, so he would be sitting and watching the rest of the skaters while his reactions were caught on camera the whole time. Yakov had checked and he was allowed to go talk to his skater before he took the ice and go with him to the kiss and cry, but he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the seating area until Yuuri took the ice.

Yuuri closed his eyes and swallowed, his nerves flaring up. “I- I’ll be fine,” he said softly. “I’ll just think about this-“ Yuuri tugged Victor’s arm more firmly around him. “The feeling of your arms, and it will let me know you’re there for me. Even if you can’t be standing with me.”

Victor hugged him close, pressing his lips to Yuuri’s shirt. “I may be your competition tonight, Yuuri, but I will always be there for you, supporting you. I will be just as happy if you beat me as I will be if I win, if not happier.”

“Good,” Yuuri teased. “Because I always dreamed of sharing a podium with Victor Nikiforov, but now I actually have the potential to _beat_ Victor Nikiforov, and that’s my new goal. So you better do your best.”

Victor chuckled low in his throat. “Oh, I plan on it.”

~

Yuuri thought the wait for his own skate, or waiting alone, would be what killed him, but in the actual moment, the thing that drove him the most crazy was the fact that, since he always battled nerves, he couldn’t even let himself go look at Victor’s score while he waited and it _killed him_ not to know how Victor had done. He was so worried Victor’s nerves had got to him. They had briefly held hands for a moment after warm-ups and spoke hushed encouragements to each other before Yakov had to go ahead and give Victor _his_ pre-skate pep-talk while Yuuri went back with the others to wait their turns.

Phichit kept dancing around with Chris, both trying to be more ridiculous than each other, and Yuuri knew that Phichit was purposefully making a scene just to distract Yuuri. It was the type of thing he did. Phichit rarely had nerves that bad, and Chris didn’t ever seem to be nervous, so they were free to make a spectacle of themselves for Yuuri’s benefit. 

However, it wasn’t long before it was just him and the second American skater – Yuuri didn’t know him, just his name – and it seemed like no time at all before it was just Yuuri and rink officials. When his name was finally called, he swallowed a gulp of water and walked out the tunnel and into the bright lights and screaming fans around them.

Victor was waiting, and as soon as Yuuri got to him, Victor took his trembling hand and squeezed it. Yuuri held Victor’s hand as he took off his skate guards and stepped onto the ice, turning to face Victor as he handed them back to him mechanically, anxiety gripping his insides tightly. Victor murmured to him encouragingly for a moment and Yuuri nodded, almost unable to hear him over the pounding of his pulse in his ears. He perked up some when Victor tugged Yuuri’s hand to his lips, kissing his ring. “If you don’t score in the top three, you don’t get another kiss for the rest of the event,” he murmured against his skin, and suddenly, as if a flip had been switched, Yuuri’s fear was pushed away by a stab of lust for his beautiful husband in front of him.

Victor’s costume was skin tight and showed off his chest and back muscles every time he moved, and his hair was gelled into a very classy coif that showed his strong jaw and angular cheekbones. He looked _so_ good in a frosty gray and satiny black costume with his silver hair and bright blue eyes that glowed since they were the only real color on him. Victor was always handsome, but in his skating costume, with his collar bones showing and his body sinfully hugged over every rippling muscle, he was _extremely_ sexy. Yuuri felt a little less anxious about his skate when he remembered that he still got to take such a sexy man home with him after it was all said and done.

He grabbed Victor’s chin in his hand, his ring gleaming as he tugged Victor to his level, smirking as he leaned closer. “I’m going to put Chris to shame with my seduction, and when I’m done?” He leaned in closer so the cameras wouldn’t hear him as he whispered in Victor’s ear. “When I’m done with this skate, you’ll be begging me to _fuck you_ right there in the Kiss and Cry.” He pulled back and saw Victor’s eyes were wide and his cheeks slightly flushed. Yuuri smirked. “Just watch this,” he said, and then turned and pushed off, gliding his way to the center of the ice to get ready to start. 

~

When the music finished, the only way Yuuri _knew_ he had even finished his routine well, since his body had been on autopilot, was the way that people were on their feet and screaming and, most of all, he could see Victor just staring with wide eyes and flushed cheeks from the barrier. 

Yuuri smiled as he bowed and waved to everybody and skated his way over to where Victor was waiting. Victor seemed to be having some sort of crisis, going by the way he opened and closed his mouth, trying to speak, and failed as he followed Yuuri to the Kiss and Cry. Yuuri giggled when he looked up into the stands where some of the other skaters had gone and saw Phichit miming fanning himself while Chris stood at the railing and bowed dramatically to depict passing his ‘sexy’ torch to Yuuri. 

They were sitting and waiting for the scores before Victor finally seemed to snap out of his daze and reached out, taking Yuuri’s hand in his. He squeezed it and smiled brilliantly at Yuuri. “That was the best you’ve ever skated that routine,” Victor said confidently. 

Yuuri beamed. “It felt amazing,” he gushed. “I don’t really remember it, I was so into the ‘seductress drawing in the playboy’ story. It was so amazing.”

Victor snickered. “Oh you seduced everyone, trust me,” he said, winking. “Pretty sure I saw one of the judges fan herself." Yuuri blushed and ducked his head. Victor leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek and took the opportunity to whisper, “I would drop to my knees for you right here and now if it wouldn’t mean probably being banned from the free skate tomorrow.”

Yuuri was glad he was already blushing, but he didn’t hide a smirk as he turned and pressed his forehead against Victor’s quickly before turning to look at the screen expectantly again. The announcer spoke, though Yuuri didn’t speak that language, but the numbers flashing on the screen were all Yuuri cared about as Victor leapt from his seat, arms raised and the stadium flew to their feet with him.

Yuuri just stared as his smile grew wider and wider and tears filled his eyes until they blurred the screen so that he couldn’t read it anymore.

119.73

On one side of his name was a number one and on the other side was the letters WR, and he finally snapped out of it and realized that, yes, Victor was cheering the words, ‘World Record’ after all. 

“I- I have both world records,” Yuuri gasped out, and then leapt to his feet, immediately throwing his arms around Victor, who held him and spun him around once with the force of his hug. “I have both world records!” he cheered.

Victor pulled back and nodded, his eyes shining brightly. “I’m so proud of you, but you have to wave to the fans,” he reminded him, and Yuuri jerked around quickly, raising both hands to wave at everybody and bow deeply, unable to stop smiling so brightly that it hurt his face. He glanced back to the scores and saw that Victor and Yuri were in second and third with less than a point separating them. His smile grew wider when he saw that _Phichit_ was in fourth place. Phichit had added some jumps he’d been working hard on and clearly it paid off. Chris was down in seventh, but that didn’t take him out of podium contention, since all the top ten were very, very close. JJ was in eighth, which was sad, but not surprising considering his illness. The table only showed the top ten, and with Otabek in ninth, the rest of the skaters were people he wasn’t really friends with or didn’t even know at all. 

“Leo placed twelfth, Guang Hong fourteenth, and Minami fifteenth,” Victor said, clearly knowing what Yuuri was thinking. 

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Wow, Minami is fifteenth out of thirty-two?” he asked, smiling brightly. His young countryman was clearly improving rapidly if that was the case. He knew Guang Hong and Leo would both be a little sad they didn’t make it into the top ten, but he knew Guang Hong still hadn’t ever really connected with his program for the year, and Leo still struggled to land even a single quad, so their places weren’t bad at all. They would both have several more years to improve.

Yuuri smiled up at Victor, who was still in his skates so still taller than Yuuri, and he tangled their fingers together at his side. “I’m proud of you, but I’m also winning right now,” he teased, winking. “You’re four points behind me and I happen to hold the free skate world record.”

Victor smirked, eyes flashing. “So? You still struggle with your quad flip and I have a high rate of success on a quad lutz. If you fall and I land, there we go, difference made up.”

Yuuri bit his bottom lip teasingly, leaning a little closer. “I have a higher GOE on my spins than you do because I’m more flexible.”

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Victor purred, touching the collar of Yuuri’s costume. “I can combo a triple axel.”

“I can combo a triple lutz with both of my arms up,” Yuuri whispered, centimeters apart, and Victor’s eyes darkened.

“Yu-“

“Oi! Stop being nasty, you fucking freaks!” They turned abruptly and saw Yuri looking at them from the halway where the other skaters were now filing out. “You’re still on fucking TV you moron!” 

~

Yuuri fully planned on making good on his promises to make Victor beg for him when they got back to the hotel room, but unfortunately, they had press for what seemed like forever after the skate, and then it was incredibly late, and by the time they got to their room, Yuuri wasn’t sure who was holding Victor’s weight up anymore, Victor’s legs or his own. 

They barely managed to change, shower, and brush their teeth before flopping into bed in an uncoordinated heap. “I sure hope you don’t expect me to beg for you to fuck me, because the only reason I’m naked is because clothes are too hard,” Victor mumbled somewhere near Yuuri’s shoulder.

Yuuri just snorted. “I can’t even feel my fingers and toes I wouldn’t even be able to manage a kiss either,” he slurred sleepily.

“Mmmmm, we can talk about your program in the morning. You got lucky the judges missed that under rotation on your flip,” Victor mumbled as he snuggled into Yuuri’s arm. “Love you, proud, ‘night,” he babbled and before Yuuri could even mentally translate what the hell Victor had said, he gave a big snuffling snore and settled more firmly into Yuuri’s side.

~

Victor woke Yuuri up with kisses and, once Yuuri was actually awake, he pushed Victor over onto his back and made good on his promise the night before to make Victor beg for Yuuri to make love to him.

Afterwards, lying in a panting heap, Victor couldn’t help but moan as he stretched, feeling a pleasant twinge in all the right places. Yuuri shifted and curled up with his head on Victor’s chest, hand splayed across his ribs. “It’s good that you don’t like to get rough,” Victor teased. “Skating competitively while sore would be distracting.” 

Yuuri hummed tiredly, tracing a fingertip along the dips of Victor’s ribcage. “Early morning isn’t the time for being rough even if I was into it,” he murmured, wrapping his leg around Victor’s thigh. 

Victor looked down at him and Yuuri held his gaze, enjoying the quiet comfort they had with each other. There was no need to speak or look away, Yuuri was entirely comfortable just looking at Victor’s beautiful face and gazing into those beautiful eyes. Victor was still the most beautiful man Yuuri had ever seen and it floored him that he was married to someone that incredibly beautiful. After a while, Victor yawned, breaking their staring contest comically. “Mmmmm, we should nap more,” Victor suggested, curling his free arm around Yuuri to hug him closer. “We need to be rested for tonight’s skate.”

“Are you nervous?” Yuuri asked quietly. _He_ was nervous, that was for sure. 

Victor hummed, snuggling closer to Yuuri. “Some. Excited for you, though,” he murmured. “You’re skating better than ever, _Zolotse_. You’re so inspiring on that ice. I’m your coach, I see you skate almost every single day, and yet I want nothing more than to watch you skate tonight. I love watching you on ice, Yuuri.” He stroked his cheek with a sweet smile. “No matter where we place, you will be the best skater out there and I’ll be your loving husband that can’t take his eyes off of you.”

Yuuri chuckled in his throat and closed his eyes. “You’re such a sweet husband,” he murmured. “I’m lucky to have someone who believes in me that much.” He rolled over, tugging Victor until Victor rolled and spooned him from behind. “Is your phone alarm set?” he asked, and Victor pressed a sweet kiss to his neck.

“Yes, we’re safe,” he reassured and Yuuri tugged him even closer, burrowing back into Victor’s chest.

“Another nap for good luck then,” he said and Victor cuddled into him with a happy sigh.

“Whatever you call it, _Zolotse_.”

~

Yuuri was so relieved to be the first one to skate in the final flight of skaters. That meant that he would be able to get it all over with and then watch the five final skaters after him. Victor went last of all, which mad him anxious. He wanted Victor to do well and the longer he had to wait the more likely it was his nerves would get to him. After the warmup, Yuuri stayed on the ice and Victor stayed at the boards, smiling across the barrier at Yuuri, who smiled back nervously. 

“You’re in first place with the world record in short and free to your name,” Victor comforted. “If you don’t under rotate that flip, you are going to win your first medal at Worlds,” he said and Yuuri bit his lip nervously. “You just have to keep it clean to determine what color it’s going to be.”

Yuuri nodded. “Okay,” he said, and Victor lifted Yuuri’s right hand to his lips, kissing his ring.

Victor smiled as Yuuri did the same thing, kissing Victor’s ring. “I love you. And I can’t wait to stand on that podium beside you.”

“You better skate well, then, too,” Yuuri teased, then touched Victor’s cheek before skating away, feeling _entirely confident_ as he took to the ice for the first time almost ever. As he took to the center of the ice and got into position facing the judges, he already knew this was going to be a great skate. 

~

When Yuuri struck his final pose he could _feel_ the vibrations of everyone in the arena screaming for him and he couldn’t help but burst into tears. He put his face in his hands and barely kept from falling to his knees as emotion overcame him. He turned and waved to the crowd around him while covering his mouth with the other hand, still amazed at how _perfect_ that skate had felt. 

When he turned to skate back to the barrier, he had to dodge flowers throw onto the ice and he actually scooped up a stuffed poodle that looked just like a comically exaggerated Makkachin with huge, sparkling eyes and a little tongue hanging out. He smiled and laughed, hugging the toy as he made his way to where Victor was waiting with the biggest smile he had ever seen on his face. Yuuri wasn’t sure Victor had even looked at him that lovingly at their wedding.

The moment he got off the ice, Victor swept him into his arms before he even handed him his blade guards. “AMAZING!” Victor shouted, having to speak up over the audience up above them in the stands still cheering so loudly. 

Yuuri pulled back and smiled, looking up at Victor with tears still brimming in his eyes. “It felt so good,” he gushed and Victor leaned their foreheads together.

“It was perfect,” he agreed, squeezing Yuuri slightly before backing up to hand him his blade guards so they could go to the Kiss and Cry. 

While waiting for the scores, Yuuri clutched the stuffed poodle to his middle while Victor waved to the cameras for them both. Yuuri’s eyes stayed on the screen even though he knew that that skate was going to put him in first for the moment for sure. He still needed to see it the moment it flashed up. When the announcer called for the scores and his free skate score came up, he gasped when he saw the number.

225.62

Yuuri had not only set a new world record above his last, but when the combined total for his short program and free program came in at 345.35, that meant that his score was almost _ten points_ higher than Victor’s highest score ever. Yuuri stared blankly at the numbers on the screen, and it was only when Victor grabbed his arm and shook him comically in celebration that he snapped out of it. He turned to look at Victor as a smile grew across his face and Victor had tears in his eyes.

“I’m so proud of you,” Victor gushed, and Yuuri couldn’t help give in to the desire to drag Victor into a kiss right there in front of everybody, hands clutching the front of Victor’s costume as he startled a squeak out of his husband. “Yuuri!” Victor rasped in surprise as he fell back into his seat and Yuuri just smiled apologetically as he stood up to wave at the crowd, bowing to them repeatedly out of gratitude. He also blew a kiss to the camera because he knew that, though his sister and Minako couldn’t make it, they and the rest of his family and friends back home would be jumping up and down in joy and he wanted them to know how grateful he was for all the support they had given him.

When they left to go to the seats for the top three, where Victor would say goodbye for now and head backstage to continue warming up, Leo leapt out of his seat and launched himself at Yuuri, nearly taking them both down as he screamed. “OH MY GOD THAT WAS AMAZING I WAS IN TEARS JJ CAN CONFIRM IT!” He bounced excitedly. “I don’t even care that you’re the one to knock me off the podium already, that was so amazing, Guang Hong has been texting me from the stands nonstop since you stepped onto the ice!” He hugged Yuuri one more time and then, before Yuuri could even congratulate him on doing so well on his free skate that he was in third after his short program left him in twelfth, he ran off.

Chris winked at him from where he sat on one of the seats opposite JJ. “Not bad for a virgin,” he teased and Yuuri scoffed and rolled his eyes. JJ looked at Chris dubiously and Victor frowned in confusion, but Yuuri just patted Victor’s hand.

“It’s a long story.”

Victor smiled at Yuuri again and leaned in to kiss him once more. “For good luck. I’ll need it after watching that skate and knowing I’m up against the man who holds all three world records,” he said playfully.

Yuuri squeezed his hand as he stepped back. “You’re going to be amazing, because you’re the one who coached me into my performance, so what does that say about you?” He winked. “Besides, you married me, clearly you’re a man with good fortune in his life,” he teased.

Victor laughed as he turned away. “We’ll see.”

“Love you, you’re gonna do great!” Yuuri called after him as he disappeared down the hall to go finish warming up while he waited his turn. Yuuri sighed and walked over to flop onto the seat beside Chris, utterly exhausted.

JJ actually turned to him and nodded. “That was amazing,” he said simply, and Yuuri found himself entirely speechless. He had never known JJ to say something so kind and with such lack of ego. He looked at Chris, who looked equally surprised.

“T-Thank you, JJ,” Yuuri said, smiling as he looked down at his lap and took a few breaths to let it all sink in. 

“And to think,” Chris said, patting his thigh – and noticeably leaving his hand there in spite of Yuuri’s eye-roll – with a grin. “You almost retired last year.”

Yuuri didn’t bother replying, but he found he didn’t really need to because the monitor showed the next person taking to the ice and Yuuri clenched his hands into fists as Phichit skated out into the center of the rink. He leaned up in his seat and settled in to watch and see how well his friends and his husband would do.

~

Phichit managed to knock JJ out of third, and then the next skater after him knocked him out of third, only for the next skater to do the same again. Finally, when Yuri went, he knocked Chris out of second and he seemed like he half-killed himself trying to beat Yuuri only to fall short by four points. He was sweaty and red and glowering as he sat as far from Yuuri and Chris as he could get.

Chris sighed and shook his head. “Oh youth,” he teased and Yuuri rolled his eyes at him.

Victor took to the ice and Yuuri leaned forward again, clutching at the stuffed poodle tightly. His nerves mounted. He was so excited to see Victor skate. Victor’s program was a melancholic, beautiful routine that was slower than his usual stuff for most of it until the build to an emotional climax. Yuuri knew that those types of routines were harder to get people to love but were the most beautiful when done perfectly. People enjoyed the fun, upbeat routines they could clap along to, and the judges liked those high-energy performances as well, but some of the most memorable performances Yuuri had ever seen were ones like this one. The selection of music was a song that had been in a few movies that Victor liked, but to Yuuri, all he knew of the song was that it was the perfect song for someone as emotional as Victor.

Unlike most of Victor’s past routines as well, this one was far more full of choreography and graceful footwork. Victor’s normal style was to go _big_ and wow people and the judges with powerful and difficult moves. While he still had some great jumps in this program and some impressive leaps, there was so much more focus on the details, which made Yuuri somewhat cautious about celebrating a potential gold medal. Yuuri won such high scores because of his focus on every single detail to make up what he lacked in natural skill like Victor and Yuri. With Victor getting every single point he could from the judges, Yuuri knew he could very well surpass him.

What Victor lacked in balletic grace like Yuuri and Yuri had, he made up for in the ability to fully express a character in his skate. With this skate being such a mournfully soft and delicate one, it was like Victor was a film star so fully immersed in his role that Yuuri barely even recognized him as _Victor_ as he skated. It was beautiful, and tragic, and flawless, and so different from anything Yuuri had ever seen Victor skate in all the years he had been a fan. Even Chris beside him seemed breathless. Yuri had seen the program before, so he was less shocked than Chris, but Yuuri noticed he was paying attention anyways. 

When Victor went into his final spin before the music ended and he struck a pose, Yuuri let out a breath and put his fingertips to his lips, because he found himself amazed to remember that beautiful, perfect skater was _his_ husband. He was so proud it made him even more emotional than Victor’s skate did as it came to a close and Victor struck his final, anguish-ridden pose. 

It took almost two full seconds after the music ended before anybody reacted, and when they did, the response was almost deafening. Yuuri sniffled and clapped along, even if nobody would see him, and he was amused but thankful that Chris joined him. Yuri didn’t, but he seemed spellbound by the image of Victor _tearful_ on the ice as he waved to the crowd and avoided tripping on all the roses and stuffed animals on the ice as he skated away.

Chris clapped Yuuri on the shoulder. “I do believe your man just beat you out of a gold medal,” he said and Yuuri just beamed.

“If he does, I won’t even be upset,” he admitted, and he knew it was utterly true. He was so proud of Victor, and though his life was far different now, watching that performance was like a flashback to his childhood, watching his idol skating on TV and being absolutely enamored by something so beautiful. “I’m so happy he came back,” Yuuri whispered more to himself than anything, though Chris seemed to hear it. 

“Me, too,” he said without any of his usual charm and attitude. “Even if this was his last skate, like so many of us worry he intends it to be, I’m so happy he came back and finished this season so I could skate with him again.”

Yuuri looked over at Chris with a sad smile. “You’re retiring, aren’t you?” he asked, and Chris shrugged.

“I haven’t decided,” he admitted openly. “But I was thinking about it. Although,” he said, grinning at Yuuri. “You were, too, and look at you now. You’re not retiring yet, are you?”

Yuuri smiled brightly and shook his head. “I planned to retire after the Grand Prix Final,” he admitted, though it was something he had only ever talked about with Victor before. Chris looked surprised. 

“You weren’t even going to finish the season?” he asked, and Yuuri nodded to the screen where Victor was still waving on his way off the ice.

“I wanted him to come back and I thought being my coach, being with me at all,” he corrected. “I thought it was stealing him from skating. Before the final skate, I told him it would be my last, that way he could go home to Russia and skate again.”

Chris was looking at him with shock in his wide eyes. “You- you tried to _leave him_?” he asked incredulously. “You’ve been obsessed with Victor Nikiforov as long as I’ve known you – and longer according to Phichit – and you were going to break up with him to make him skate again?”

Yuuri scrunched up his nose. “I was being stupid,” he admitted. “Instead of, ‘thank you for letting me return to the ice easily’, he was all heartbroken and angry at me for being so selfish. I didn’t really believe that he could have so much attachment to someone like me.” He rolled his eyes. “You know how I am,” he said and Chris did know. Yuuri had known Chris for a long time, now. They had always been friends when it seemed unusual to others for them to get along. Yuuri blamed that on others not really understanding how kind Chris was behind the act.

“And instead you married him,” Chris said, and Yuuri beamed as he watched Victor going to the Kiss and Cry.

“He suggested that, since we were going to stay together and I would just move to Russia to be with him and keep training while he did, we should get married while we were still living with my family, and I couldn’t find any reason to say no.” He grinned. “When I make up my mind about something, I don’t really hold back.”

Chris winked. “Oh, I know. Victor is one to kiss and tell,” he confided and Yuuri flushed whereas Yuri, who had been listening the whole time, apparently, spluttered in horror and nearly fell out of his seat. Yuuri and Chris laughed until the crowd in the stadium roared and Chris whistled, drawing Yuuri’s attention back to the screen. “Well,” he said, patting Yuuri on the back. “There goes one of your world records.”

Victor’s free skate score was 226.52.

Yuuri did the mental math quite easily since it was only nine-tenths higher than his free skate score and his jaw dropped because he knew, even before the combined score flashed up onto the screen, exactly what that meant. 

~

Yuuri had never felt happier than the moment he bowed his head for the medal to be placed around his neck and stood tall to look down at the gold medal on his chest. 

…. At least until he glanced to the side and saw Victor looking back at him with the silver resting on his chest and pure, unadulterated love in the blue eyes that gazed back at Yuuri.

~

Bonus Epilogue:

Yuuri jogged down the hallway to Phichit’s room, annoyed at having to spend hours of his life at the banquet that Phichit _never even showed up to_. Victor had gotten drunk and dragged Yuuri all over the hall to show him off to everybody who would listen as, “My perfect, sexy, beautiful gold medalist that’s the best husband ever and super hot in bed.” Yuuri had texted Phichit for help every ten minutes the whole time they were there but help never came. Even Yuri just snuck out after a few minutes there to go sight-seeing with Otabek. 

It also didn’t help when Minami and Guang Hong decided to get drunk, even though Minami was underage in that country and Guang Hong had never been drunk in his life before, so Leo was too busy trying to stop them drinking more or from leaving to go do something stupid while also trying to help hide them from the wraths of their coaches to bother hanging out with Yuuri. 

When he got to Phichit’s room, he heard the TV on, and he huffed and hammered on the door. “Phichit, I am going to kill you if you left me alone all night to watch movies in your room! Just because you didn’t medal doesn’t mean you get to abandon me to all those crazies! I couldn’t even find Chris in the chaos of trying to deal with drunk Victor-”

The door swung open and Yuuri’s jaw dropped, his hand still suspended in air as he took in the sight before him: Most definitely naked Christophe Giacometti wearing only the short-short hotel robe, going by how much of his thigh and hip Yuuri could see through the barely-tied closer flap.

Chris pouted in a way that said he wasn’t even slightly apologetic as he said, “Awww, sorry about that, Yuuri, but Phichit was busy,” he said, a leer crossing his face.

Yuuri was stuck somewhere in ‘does not compute’ territory as he a shower shutting off inside the hotel room followed by Phichit saying, “Chris? Are you talking to someone?”

“Yuuri’s here,” Chris called back, and Yuuri finally managed to blink away some of the confusion and shock.

There were thuds and then an equally naked Phichit wrapped in a towel with another on his head in a towel-turban appeared behind Chris, looking over his shoulder. “Oh, hey Yuuri!” he greeted, waving. “What’s up?”

Yuuri wasn’t sure what was more confusing, the casual ‘what’s up’ or the fact Phichit didn’t seem to care that he was standing visibly naked with an equally visibly naked Chris in front of an open door. “I… came to see why you weren’t at the banquet, but I’m pretty sure I know why, now,” he said, looking between Phichit and Chris in confusion. “Very confused about it, but at least I know now.”

Phichit glanced at Chris then back at Yuuri. “Oh! That!” He blushed a little and shrugged. “Sorry for ditching you at the banquet to get laid, but not really all that ashamed of my choice?” he offered.

Chris smirked and winked at Yuuri as he curled his arm around Phichit’s waist. “Just doing my duty to make it one less virgin in the figure skating world,” he drawled and Yuuri just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Oh yes, you really made such a great sacrifice tonight,” he said, but smiled in amusement all the same. “Oh well, whatever,” he said, shaking his head. “My friends,” he said as he turned to leave. “Abandoning me to have sex when I can’t even do the same since my husband is passed out drunk!” he sighed dramatically.

“If you weren’t married, I’d suggest Chris,” Phichit called after him, clearly fighting back giggles. “He’s a surprisingly generous and attentive lover!”

Yuuri just groaned in mock-disgust as he turned the corner to head to the elevators, ignoring the laughter from the hall behind him that wasn’t entirely muffled after a door closing cut them short.

**Author's Note:**

> The song that inspired me for Victor's Free Skate was [On the Nature of Daylight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVN1B-tUpgs) by Max Richter. That isn't really a song to skate to, so it is NOT the song Victor skates to, but that is a piece of music that has been in many big movies (most recently the film Arrival) and has the same tone I wanted to set for Victor's skate.


End file.
